If there is anything we love more than reading books... it's talking about them! Scroll down to see what books we are raving about this month.
For more recommendations, check out our full Staff Picks Page.
"I think they should hand out copies at JFK to everyone moving to NYC. This book is so orienting and informative, I could practically feel each piece of new knowledge clicking into a permanent place. Since reading it, I've been following its table of contents like a syllabus, falling in love with the authors Laing highlights. Rooney, Nelson, Rhys, and above all, Ali Smith. My life would not be the same without Ali Smith. My life would not be the same without Olivia Laing." -Aly
"More than 100 "GUTSY" women are featured in this volume. From a 17th century nun to climate activist Great Thunberg, there are many well known women and some you may have never heard of. Throughout history women have been pioneers in education, sport, defending Earth/social injustices, exploring, inventing, healing, and by telling their stories that impact the world. At a time when women's rights are being challenged it is fantastic to read a book that shows how women fought against the odds for what they wanted and believed was right, whether that was 400 years ago or yesterday." -Nicole
"The animals have spoken, and it's driving humans wild. As a mind-bending, zoonotic word virus transforms the Australian landscape, a deeply troubled matriarch and her half-wild dingo travel the unraveling continent to put their pack back together. This is grim, experimental literature that is both grand in scope and and accessibly unpretentious. Laura Jean McKay's debut plague novel is both nihilistically devastating and appallingly, irreverently hilarious." -Steven
"I wish I could describe more clearly the spell this book cast on me but I can't. All I can say is Fitzgerald, in examining his not always happy and not always easy personal history, works,some magic. His voice is funny and charming and angry and justified but I think what stood out was how magnanimous this book felt; Fitzgerald's generosity toward himself and others was overwhelming in the best of ways. Reading this book made me feel incandescent." -Amanda
"On more than one occasion while reading this book, I just wanted to hold it to my chest in a tight hug. The Book of Form and Emptiness is creative & thoughtful, with kindhearted, messy characters and a sensitive look at mental illness. It explores seemingly incongruous themes from climate change to the purpose of art to the power of found family. Ruth Ozeki is incredibly inventive and this book definitely played with structure and perspective in an original way. The supporting cast of characters were all treated as full people which added immensely to my enjoyment." -Holly
"Although I can't speak to the quality of the recipes (I have yet to try anything from this book), the images of the food and drinks paired with the stills from the films are so satisfying to flip through. I'm particularly interested in trying out the "Adventureland Stash" drink inspired by the LSD-spiked Sprite in Good Time (2017) as well as the "You've Been Trying to Make Us Try This Tofu" sandwich influenced by But I'm A Cheerleader (1999) - (the image on pg 214 has me foaming at the mouth)." -Anastasia
"Surreal and strange, and delights in contrasting a world so wonderfully, gleefully indifferent with deeply human experiences. It's about a tiny Catalan mountain village, the ghosts that haunt its forests and meadows, and the people who live and die and love there." -Mindy
"I got the sense reading All Down Darkness Wide of a man carefully constructing a work of art from his life that he can live inside, and invite the world into, and eventually walk away from. Every page is full of care and consideration - the right word to honor a feeling, respect the gravity of an event - so that I read it in a delicate state of close attention. Pain, beauty and sadness are all bound up in this meditation on self, queerness, poetry and, most powerfully for me, depression. It is also so much more, a gentle and generous span of time with someone who's been through the fire and now carries forth more light than burning." -Davi
"Fun and fast-paced, Crazy Food Truck is great for foodies who want a quick post apocalyptic action fix. Limited to three books it's not too hard on the wallet also. One note for customers: This is manga with an explicit tag. Not for the youngsters." -Will
"A witty and manipulative female main character, great pacing with a looming sense of time, and an absolute joy to read, this historical romance won my heart. I highly recommend this story to Jane Austen fans. So fun. So refreshing. So many beloved tropes." -Sarah